Dandelion-digger.



B. SCHNEIDER.

DANDELION BIGGER.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1 6 lDOB.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

the arms 6.

BURTON SCHNEIDER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

DANDELION-DIGG-ER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed July 16, 1908. Serial No. 443,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BUR-TON SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDandelion- Diggers; ing to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and eflicient devicefor digging and picking up dandelions and other weeds that grow inlawns, and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinationsof de vices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The improved device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinlike characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation,showing the improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; andFig. 3 is a side elevation of the device, with some parts shown insection.

The improved device comprises a quite long handle or pole 1, the lowerend of which is preferably beveled at 2, and to which beveled portion isriveted or otherwise secured a downwardly projecting chisel blade 3,preferably the lower edge of which is sharpened and preferably hardened,the said blade be ing made of steel.

The numerals 4 and 5 indicate a pair of jaws, the former of which haslaterally spaced arms 6 that embrace the lower end of the pole 1 and arepivotally connected thereto at 7. The jaw 5 is embraced by and ispivotally connected at 8 to the arms 6 of the jaw 4, and the two jawsare connected, by a coiled spring 9, the tension of which tends to openup the two jaws, as shown in Fig. 3. Also this spring 9 keeps the loweredge of the jaw 5 forced against the lower end of the pole 1, and as theline of strain of said spring is always outward of the pivot 8, it tendsto force the jaw 4 upward and outward. Otherwise stated, the coiledspring 9 tends to force the two jaws apart and to move the same upwardinto the position shown in Fig. 3.

A hand lever 10 which is pivotally connected to the upper portion of thepole 1 is connected, by a rod 11, to the free ends of When the saidlever 10 is forced and I do hereby declare the follow 1 against thepole, as shown in Fig. 2, the two jaws are moved downward and forcedtogether, as shown in said Fig. 2.

The use of the device is as follows: The blade 3 being placed close tothe root of the dandelion or weed to be dug up, is forced at a slightinclination in respect to a vertical into the ground until the lower endof the pole strikes the ground and limits further downward movement.Then by pressing the latch lever 10 against the pole the two aws 4 and 5are caused to move bodily downward and to close onto that portion of adandelion plant or weed that is above the ground. Then when the jaws areheld closed, the blade is withdrawn from the ground and the plant orweed is picked up by the closed jaws. This, as is evident, may be easilyaccomplished while the person using the device stands in an erectposition. The digging up of dandelions and weeds is, therefore, made aneasy matter and, furthermore, the roots will be cut out so that theywill not again grow. In other words, the entire plant is uprooted andremoved from the ground.

The device described is of small cost and in actual practice has beenfound highly efficient for the purposes had in view.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a pole and ablade secured to the lower end thereof, of a pair of jaws mounted tomove pivotally in respect to each other and to move downward in res ectto said pole to pick up a plant or weed, t 1e root of which has been cutby said blade, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the combination with a pole and a chisel-like bladesecured to the lower end thereof, of a pair of pivotally connected jaws,one of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of said pole,yielding means tending to open said aws and to move the same upward inrespect to the pole, and a hanc -piece applied to the upper portion ofsaid pole and connected to the jaw which is pivoted to said pole,substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a pole andchisel-like blade secured to the lower end thereof, and the lower end ofwhich pole serves as a stop to limit the insertion of said blade intothe ground, of a jaw having a pair of arms embracing and pivotallyconnected to the lower end of said pole, another jaw pivotally conkinddescribed, the

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature nected to the arms of saidfirst noted jaw, a

1n presence of two witnesses.

spring connecting said two jaws and tending to move the same apart andbodily upward on the pole, a hand lever pivoted to the upper BURTONSCHNEIDER 5 portion of said pole, and a rod connecting Witnesses:

' H. D. KILGORE,

said hand lever to the arms of said armequipped jaw, substantially asdescribed. F. D. MERCHANT.

